This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for handling signatures and more specifically to an apparatus having a delivery assembly which includes a nip through which groups of signatures are fed before being directed to either an additional signature handling apparatus or a reject location.
A known commercially available inserter-stitcher-trimmer has a plurality of signature feeders which are disposed along a saddle type conveyor. As a signature receiving location on the conveyor moves past of each of the signature feeders in turn, a group of signatures is assembled. After this group of signatures has been inspected and stitched, it is moved to a delivery assembly. At the delivery assembly, the group of signatures passes through a nip and is directed to either a trimmer or a reject location.
During operation of this known inserter-stitcher-trimmer, a misfeed may occur at one of the signature feeders with a resulting formation of a defective group of signatures containing less than a predetermined number of signatures. When a signature misfeed is detected, the signature feeders downstream from the location where the misfeed occurred are rendered ineffective to feed additional signatures onto the defective group of signatures. Therefore, when a misfeed occurs at one of the first signature feeders, a very thin group of signatures is formed.
The nip in the delivery assembly is set to have a size which accommodates a numerically perfect group of signatures, that is a group of signatures containing a predetermined number of signatures. When an attempt is made to feed a thin defective group of signatures through the nip, the relatively large size of the nip may prevent the thin group of signatures from being fed through the delivery assembly. This can result in jamming of the apparatus.